Sounder.



F. W. COLE.

SOUNDER. APPLICATION mzn NOV. 6. 1915.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

pron.

FREDERICK W. COLE, OF NEWTON HIGHLANDS, MASSACHUSETTS, .ASSIGNOR 'IO GAME- WELL FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SOUNDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916..

Application filed. November 6, 1915. Serial No. 60,125.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. COLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton Highlands, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sounders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sounders especially adapted for use in signal-boxes where the sounding occurs upon the retractile movements of the armature of the soundermagnet. In sounders of this type the retractile spring for the armature is the energy by which the sound is produced. To overcome this spring, and cause reverse motion of the armature a magnetic attraction of greater energy is necessarily required. As a result ordinarily there is a sound produced upon the attractive movements of the armature by the armature striking the forward stop, so that sounds are produced upon both the attractive and retractive movements, and both of which sounds are audible. Proper muliiing of the sounds produced upon the attractive move ments of the armature results in a wide contrast between the two sounds, so that they may be easily counted; hence my present invention involves improvements in the structure, whereby the sound produced upon at-.

tractive movements of the armature may be mu'liied, so as to make the other sound, by contrast, very distinct, instead of attempting to increase the volume of the sounds which are to be counted, and thereby to dis tinguish them from the sounds which are not to be counted.

This invention consists in associating with the armature, novel mufl'ling means by which the sounds produced upon attractive movements of the armature are substantially entirely mufiled.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sounder embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view, partly in section, to illustrate the mufliing-means which is associated with the armature. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same.

As illustrating one embodiment of my invention, 1 represents the sounder-magnet, which is mounted on any suitable base or frame-structure 2, and is here shown as arranged in upright position, although this is n enti l, It armature 3 is attached to one arm 5 of a bell-crank armature-lever which is pivoted at 4, the other arm 6, of said lever, extending downward alongside of the magnet. The retractile spring 7 for the armature is attached at one end to the armature-lever, and at the other end to usual means, as a screw 8, by which the tension of the spring may be adjusted. The striker 10, preferably adjustable, is disposed at or near the extremity of the arm 6, and is arranged to strike an anvil 12, which, as here shown, is made as an ear on the frame-structure 2, the engagement of said anvil by the striker producing audible sounds. The striker may be simply a screw extended through the arm, the end of which is adapted to engage the anvil. Said striker and anvil are here shown as arranged for engagement upon retractile movements of the armature.

Upon attractive movements, the armature engages the poles of the magnet, and

would produce sounds very much like the sounds produced by the striker engaging the anvil, for the reason that the attractive force must be greater than the energy of the retractile spring in order to overcome said spring. While these sounds might, and ordinarily would, difier from the other sounds, yet they would be such as to confuse the operator who is trying to count the sounds produced upon retractile movement only, especially in a noisy place, hence mufiiing-means are herein associated with the armature and operated on its attractive movements to substantially entirely muffle the sounds produced upon such movements. Herein one simple form of muiiling-means is shown for illustrating my invention.

A long slender, flat spring 15, or it may be any other form of resilient member, is attached at one end to the long arm 6, of the bell-crank lever, and its other, or free end, is arranged for engagement with a stop 16, here shown as a screw. Said parts are arranged relative to each other, so that upon attractive movements of the armature the free end of the long spring engages the stop just before the armature engages the poles of the sounder-magnet, and thus yieldingly checks its movement, and while it may thereafter permit engagement of the armature with the poles, yet the inertia of the armature being gradually overcome, it coming gently to rest, no vibrations are set up, and consequently no sounds are produced.

Theadjustable stop 16 is or may be arranged on the frame-structure 2, and, as here shown, extends freely through a hole in the arm 6, for engagement with the spring 15. It will be observed that owing to the fact that the sounds produced upon attractive movement of the armature are substantially inaudible, the sounds produced upon retractive movements thereof are, by contrast, very distinctive, and may be counted Without confusion.

Vith the structure of sounder here shown, it is easily possible to associate therewith a tap-bell, and provide a long range of motion for the bell hammer, and, as here shown, see Fig. 1, 20 represents :the gong, 21 tl1e bell-hammer pivoted at 22, having an extension 23 formed with a bifurcated endportion to receive a pin 24, extended laterally from the armature-lever. a structure, the bell is sounded upon retractive movements of the armature.

1. The sounder herein described comprising a sounder-magnet, armature, pivoted bell-crank armature-lever, one arm of which is made long and extends lengthwise of the magnet, a retractile spring, a striker and anvil, a long slender flat spring attached at one end of the armature-lever, near its pivot, and a stop arranged to be engaged by the free end of said spring upon attractive movement of the armature, thereby to gradually overcome the inertia of the arma- Vith such I ture, and cause it to come to rest Without producing sound vibrations;

2. The sounder herein described comprising a sounder-magnet, armature, pivoted bell-crank armature lever, one arm of which is made long and extends lengthwise of the magnet and has a hole through it near its extremity, a retractile spring, a striker and anvil, a long flat spring attached at its upper end to the armature-lever, near the pivot thereof, and extended over the hole therethrough, a screw arranged on the frame and adapted to extend through said hole upon attractive movement of the armature-lever, to engage the free end of said spring, thereby to gradually overcome the inertia of the armature as its movement is checked.

3. The sounder herein described comprising a sounder-magnet, armature, pivoted armature lever, a retractile spring, a striker and anvil, a fiat spring attached at one end to the armature lever, and a screw arranged to be engaged by the free end of said spring upon attractive movement of the armature, thereby to gradually overcome the inertia of the armature and cause it to come to rest without producing sound vibrations.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK W. COLE.

Vitnesses C. C. BIssn'rH, LOIS A. MoRRILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

